Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall (b. October 4, 1935) was a witch and a registered Animagus who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1947 to 1954 and was sorted into Gryffindor House. After her education, she worked for two years at the Ministry of Magic and later returned to Hogwarts, where she became Head of Gryffindor House, Transfiguration professor and concurrently, at differing times, Deputy Headmistress and Headmistress of Hogwarts. McGonagall was also a member of the First and Second Order of the Phoenix. In 1995, she opposed Dolores Umbridge, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. She also protected the students from Alecto and Amycus Carrow from 1997 until 1998, and as part of this resistance movement, fought in several battles of both wars, including the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the Battle of Hogwarts (where she led the resistance against Lord Voldemort). She survived the Second Wizarding War, continued her job as Headmistress for at least ten years, and retired sometime in the late 2000s or 2010s. Information *Born: October 4, 1935, Caithness, Scotland *Blood Status: Half-blood *Marital Status: Widowed *Titles: **Madam **Prefect **Head Girl **Deputy Headmistress (formerly) **Professor **Head of Department (formerly) **Head of Gryffindor House (formerly) **Headmistress (formerly as of 2017) *Species: Human *Gender: Female *Height: 5'9" *Hair Color: Black *Eye Color: Green *Skin Color: White *Animagus: Cat (registered) *Boggart: Lord Voldemort *Wand: Fir and dragon heartstring, nine and a half inches, stiff *Patronus: Cat *Occupation: **Department of Magical Law Enforcement employee (1954 - 1956) **Head of Transfiguration department) (1956 - 1998) **Headmistress of Hogwarts School (1998 - after 2008 but before 2017) **Deputy Headmistress (Unknown - 1998) **Head of Gryffindor House (before 1991 - 1998) *House: Gryffindor Family Members *Robert McGonagall Sr. (father) *Isobel Ross (mother) *Elphinstone Urquart (husband) *Malcolm McGonagall (brother) *Robert McGonagall Jr. (brother) *Minerva (maternal great-grandmother) *William McGonagall (possible ancestor]] Biography Early Life Minerva McGonagall was born on the outskirts of Caithness in the Scottish Highlands, on October 4, 1935 to Robert McGonagall, a Muggle Presbyterian minister, and his wife, Isobel Ross, a witch. She was the couple's first child, and was named after her mother's grandmother, an immensely talented witch. Her birth proved both a joy and a crisis: Isobel had given up the use of her magic for her love of Robert, and never told him about her magical abilities as she was afraid to mar the bliss of their wedding. Minerva, however, displayed small but noticeable signs of magic from her earliest hours. As an infant, Minerva had no control of her magic, and thus she inadvertently summoned toys that had been left on upper shelves to her cot, made the family cat do her bidding, and made her father's bagpipes play themselves which would cause baby Minerva to chuckle happily. Isobel knew she must confess to her husband about their daughter's wizarding abilities and so she did, explaining everything to Robert and telling him that they were bound by the International Statute of Secrecy, and that they must conceal the truth about their magical abilities. The two parents remained together despite the shocking revelation and had two other sons, Malcolm and Robert Jr. Both revealed magical ability in due course. Minerva then, as a child, helped her mother conceal from her father the accidents and embarrassments the young wizards' magic sometimes caused. On Minerva's eleventh birthday on October 4, 1946, she received her Hogwarts acceptance letter, at the time headed by Professor Armando Dippet. Now free to be with her kind, and to exercise her considerable talents, Minerva saw how her mother sobbed that day; not only out of pride, but also out of envy. Hogwarts Years Minerva attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a pupil from 1947 to 1954. During her sorting, sh eproved to be a hatstall: the Sorting Hat spent five-and-a-half minutes wavering between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw before deciding to place her in the former. By the end of the 1953-1954 school year, her seventh and last year at the school, Minerva had achieved an impressive record: she achieved top grades in her O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. examinations, she had been both a Prefect and Head Girl, and won the Transfiguration Today Most Promising Newcomer award. She, like Albus Dumbledore, received "Outstanding" in all her O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's. Having learned Transfiguration from Professor Albus Dumbledore, Minerva became, under his guidance, an Animagus, an ability that was recorded in the Animagus Registry at the Ministry of Magic. Minerva also played for the Gryffindor Quidditch team in her student years; a nasty fall in her final year (a foul during the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match which would decide the Quidditch Cup winner) left her with a concussion, several broken ribs and a lifelong desire to see Slytherin crushed on the Quidditch pitch. Early Heartbreak After graduating from Hogwarts, Minerva was offered a position at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the British Ministry of Magic. She returned to her family's manse to spend one last summer with her family before moving to London. During these months Minerva, aged eighteen, met Dougal McGregor, a local Muggle, who was the handsome, clever and funny son of a local farmer. Minerva fell head-over-heels in love with McGregor. The two got to know each other, and eventually McGregor proposed to Minerva on a ploughed field and she accepted his offer. That night, she was unable to tell her parents of her engagement. Thinking about her future, Minerva realized that wedding a Muggle who was oblivious to the fact that she was a witch would mean she would follow her mother's footsteps and live unhappily with her wand locked away, shredding all of her ambitions. Early the next morning, Minerva went to tell McGregor she had changed her mind, and could not marry him. Aware that if she broke the International Statute of Secrecy she would lose the job at the Ministry for which she was giving him up, she could give him no good reason for her change of heart. She left McGregor devastated and left for London three days later. Professor at Hogwarts Through her first years as a professor at Hogwarts, Minerva remained close friends with her former boss, Elphinstone Urquart. During one visit, he proposed marriage to Minerva at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. Surprised, embarrassed and still in love with Dougal, she declined. Elphinstone, however, had never ceased to love her, nor to propose every now and then, until she finally accepted. In the summer of 1982, Elphinstone proposed to Minerva again during a stroll around the Black Lake. Minerva, who had felt freed by the earlier death of Dougal McGregor, finally accepted. Always something of a feminist, she kept her maiden name upon their marriage. Together they lived in a small cottage in Hogsmeade where Minerva traveled easily to work every day and often hosted her nieces and nephews for visits. In 1985, three years into their marriage, Elphinstone died from a Venomous Tentacula bite. Minerva, who could not bear to remain alone in their cottage, packed her things after her husband's funeral and returned to her first-floor study in Hogwarts Castle. Physical Appearance Minerva McGonagall was first described as a tall, rather severe-looking woman, and later as a "sprightly" seventy year old. She often wore emerald green robes or her favorite tartan pattern. She also wore a pointed hat cocked to once side, and always had a very prim expression. She rarely let her black hair down and the majority of the time had it combed back into a tight bun. Minerva was a fan of tartan print and would often wear it to Quidditch games along with a woolly hat covering her ears. Minerva wore square spectacles that matched the markings around the eyes of her Animagus and Patronus: a silver tabby cat. Personality and Traits Minerva almost constantly exuded magnanimity and sternness and was held in great respect (and some fear) by nearly all students and staff. Used to having her way, she tolerated neither audacity nor silliness from her pupils, and was known to turn cold towards people who said or did things in front of her that were stupid, or if she thought they were trying to be funny. Despite her strict demeanor, however, Minerva did exhibit a dry sense of humor which usually came out when times were tough. True to Gryffindor, she valued bravery and loyalty highly, thinking cowardice a heavy flaw. Despite her loyalty to her house, though, and a fair-minded person, McGonagall was known for docking points from students in her own House when she saw it must be done so. Minerva was not afraid to speak her mind and showed quite a sharp tongue, especially during arguments. For the most part, though, she usually maintained great emotional composure, without being indifferent. Although she was not always particularly personable, she was a huge supporter of Harry and trusted the likes of Dumbledore, Sprout, Flitwick, Pomfrey and Hagrid. She could be very warm and supportive during times of trouble or loss and cared a great deal about her students, both personally and academically. Minerva enjoyed needlework, correcting articles in Transfiguration Today, watching Quidditch, and supporting the Montrose Magpies. She has showed a great fondness for taratan patterns and love for cats. As the devoted instructor of Transfiguration classes, Professor McGonagall highly respected the specific branch of magic, and considered it to be more complex and sophisticated than all others, though she respected most others just as much; she became an Animagus to further her study in the magic. On the other hand, she has very little patience with Divination, due to its impreciseness and rarity of true Seers. As well as this, she has a temper that can reveal itself on occasions when she is angrily flustered. Magical Abilities and Skills *Underage magic *Transfiguration *Duelling *Animagus *Charms *Dark Arts *Defense Against the Dark Arts *Study of Ancient Runes *Non-verbal spells *Leadership skills *Logical thinking and intelligence *Quidditch Category:1935 births Category:Animagi Category:Battle of the Astronomy Tower participants Category:Battle of Hogwarts participants Category:Blood traitors Category:Death Eaters enemies Category:Department of Magical Law Enforcement personnel Category:Females Category:First Order of the Phoenix Category:Gryffindors Category:Half-bloods Category:Hatstalls Category:Head Girls Category:Heads of House Category:Hogwarts employees Category:Hogwarts Headmasters and Headmistresses Category:Hogwarts prefects Category:Hogwarts students Category:McGonagall family Category:Montrose Magpies supporters Category:Ousting of Severus Snape participants Category:Professors Category:Protectors of the Philosopher's Stone Category:Quidditch players Category:Scottish individuals Category:Second Order of the Phoenix Category:Sorted in 1947 Category:St. Mungo's patients Category:Transfiguration department Category:Unforgivable curse users Category:Widowed individuals Category:Wizards